Mossberg: How Does the iPad Mini Stack Up?

In shrinking the iconic iPad, Apple has pulled off an impressive feat, Walt Mossberg discusses on digits. Photo: Getty Images.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... the ... how does the I pad Meanie stack up ... big doubly him self wall last but always and will have back and mall ... right and right now on Digits ... good afternoon and welcome I'm Simon Constable we go straight to what was he joins us now from Washington DC wanted to see you as always ... they see Simon ... now you've been putting the I pad Meanie through its paces to tell us tell us what you found ... well here it is on and what I found is ... it done ... what they said they were going into their announcement which is ... the top of all the functionality of the night had ... sold the ability to run all the apps this zero learning curve ... and they put it into a ... smaller device ... um it's up to seven point nine inch screen ... and yet he is ... thinner in later ... than ... its competitors the ... Google Nexus seven and the Kindle Fire HD seven which only have a seven inch screen ... screen here is about thirty five percent ... more eerie than those in yet again it's thinner and lighter you can see ... just apt than it is here coming week and a aam Facebook ... I get to ... it had in my tests great battery life it didn't and half hours ... in battery life and death so which got here is basically ... a night that he can hold in ... one hand for a long period of time ... and that that sells for less than ... the the full size I pad it sells for ... three twenty nine ... and and it is a bit more expensive than the Nexus seven which is one I mean I know the Kindle Fire HD which is to to foreseen us along with the Albion knowing that says as he put in your column ... on the right to ... it ... once the and and so in November Apple typically ... has higher prices but I have to say they also use ... I'm not I'm not apologizing for the price if you're on a budget ... three twenty nine is a lot more that one ninety nine or two fourteen ... but um I will say those other devices are plastic ... this is a ... an aluminum and glass of ice and the need to ... come to expect from Apple to its high quality ... construction ... there is another downside to this ... about the only ... other downside I think which is ... screen resolution aam ... and this is the ... a screen resolution that is not a bold showing ... HD movies ... HD video now I want to stress that photos ... and video ... I actually do look quite good on this ... it's the same resolution that people ... did not complain about and and and spend their money on for the I pad to ... play ... we become used to with the I pad this retina display this higher risk ... and this does not have that ... is actually also will lower resolution than the ... I'd Nexus seven and the Kindle Fire ... is the economy of the real problem and if you like Maine you like to watch on you know who know and that's when Netflix top ... on it was ... a was a problem for me ... I can I think most people look at this ... look that the video or the photos would think you look great just like they did with the region life and I had to ... take the problem is ... if you're somebody who's particular and really wants to watch full HD or if you have been used to looking ... at the ... at the retina display on the ... other Apple devices in their several now with those retina displays ... you may find yourself disappointed but I think ... that he I just had no trouble reading books or watching videos when I say trouble I mean ... it was that it was enjoyable response ... it's just a head knock your socks up or be spectacular and if you are particular ... you can get a higher resolution ... on these other competing small tablets ... for less money ... and whoever I'm repeating again ... they managed to pack and ... up thirty five percent bigger screen and yet the banner and later and I think that also is the counterbalancing factor ... so ... if you want me to hire as to strain out what a bite bite you want to stick with an Apple product is your choice to go with the new I pad ... the the the people on ... and suffer the extra weight is that with the way you would sign ... the semi yes the one I had ... they have super high resolution the retina display on ... the the new one to the tothe full size one ... time and time ... they have this ... resolution that is ... similar to what they had in the first and second eye pads on this on this mini ... baby ... to have a look ... at I made this choice they told me ... book artists um ... they wanted all the apps to run with our modification without requiring the developers to modify anything ... and they really had two choices one was this ... war resolution in the other was the the super high Retina resolution ... which would have um ... you know and drain the battery faster on a device the size of all so aam ... force them to charge more because it's a ... much more expensive the display ... I also not sure that a resolution of that ... density would would look so great a smaller screen ... but it is what it is and that ... I would have said in my column if I thought it looked fuzzy or bad it doesn't ... pictures to look sharp video look sharp just not as sharp ... as the high resolution ... display ... and so now if your particular bad ... HT ... this is not the device for you but ... there's a large large numbers of people who will ... find ... photos videos text everything just fine on this night you you also ... come as in you'll call me Kohn said in an e-mail politics he's a Visalia is the design and well I it's not true though I couldn't get in any of my pot of taxes I can put it in not ... in the inside pocket on this SC Jack about wearing ... it just a little bit of a tight fit and that's also true by the way ... on that on the Kindle Fire HD which is ... you know just it just a tenth of an inch ... narrower than this and actually ... quite a bit they are ... the ... the Nexus ... does also figure is considerably narrower across and so it goes more easily in pockets ... but ... remember ... lots of people who might buy this are women who carry purses ... and a lot of them find the big guy and ... were similar sized tablets be a little big ... to carry around in their purse and this will this will not be any problem at all ... for most of purses that women carry ...